Type-writing machine.



C. W. SPONSEL.

` TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG.1, 1905.

1,046,229. y Panendne. 3, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. W. SPONSEL. TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 1s. 1905'.

1 ,046,229, Patented Dec.3,1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESS/58.'

ATTORNEYS.

C. W. SPONSEL. TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 1a, 1905.

1,046,229, -Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

'WITH/8858:

timTuT sTA-.Tus PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. SPONSEL, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE NOISELESS TYPEWRITER COMPANY, F MIDDIETOWN, CONNECTI- CUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

, cially adapted for use in machines known as silent typewriters.

One of its objects is to so construct the platen lcarrying means that the same will be absolutely unyielding under pressure of -the printing devices. 4

Another object is to provide means adapted to adjust the platen toward or from the printing plane.

y Other objects will be in partobvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the embodiments hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.`

In the accompanying drawings wherein a e illustratedv several of various possible embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my preferred embodiment of the same.4 Fig. 2 isvan elevation of certain partsshown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing retaining means for the platen carrying head. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View, partly V in section, showing adjusting means forv the. platenQffFig. 5 is a fragmentary view partlyinI section showing a modified form of platen adjusting means. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the em, bodiment illustrated in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view partly in section Ofanother modiied form of the platen adjusting means. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 7. Figs. 9 and 10 are views s-honmg details of construction of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 9 and 4Q. Fig. l1 is a view in iperspective of the platen carrying head elnphoyed in the em- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

Application led August 18, 1905. Serial No. 274,649. y

bodiments illustrated in Figs. 5 to lO'inelusive. l.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the. several views of the drawings.

'Xs tending to render better understood certain of the various general features of my invention, it may here be noted that in machines of this type, to which my invention impressionon the4 paper is made by pressure and not by impact or concussion, it 1s of the utmost importance that the means employed to carry the platen be so constructed as tobe immovable with respect to the printing plane during the moment of printing. It is., moreover, essential in ma.- chines of this character to have-an unyielding impression surface, under pressure of the printing devices, and any movement of the platen or the platen supporting means results in an inferior grade of work. Such a ,defect is evenmore apparent in manifolding work,4 wherein the pressure exerted by he type bar must necessarily be great, and

'v movement Whatever of the platen in a direction away from the printing plane not onty greatlya'ects the quality of work, but materially diminishes the number of copies which otherwise could be made. Ity is also essential that the platen in machines of this type be so arranged'as to be adjustable, in order that the`type be brought into contact applied, particularly those wherein. the l with the impression surface without concussion or impact and, therefore, substantially without nolse, and, moreover, when a number of copies are made. as 1n manifolding.l the combined thickness of the sheets employed, lessens to a marked degree, in

machines of such type. the amount of leverage which can ordinarily be applied through the key levers to the type bars, by Vreason. of the surface of the paper or other material extending without or beyond the normalprinting plane.' In such eases, therefore, I have found it desirable that mechanismbejprovided to allow an adjustmentof the platen to a position slightly behind the normal printing'planeksjuch position being` f maintain the platen in a rigid position during the moment of printing.

The above and other advantages are se- 'cured in constructions of the nature of that ,5 hereinafter described." Y

Referring now to the drawings, vand particularly to Figs. ftf, the truss A mounted upon upright bars B and B forming part of the frame of the machine comprises a truss-shaped channel bar '1 having a greater width at the center than at'its ends, and a thin web 2 to insure lightness, and at the same time to preserve stiffness and rigidity. vBy the terln truss, as herein used in the specification and claims I mean a member comprising a plurality of mut-'ually supported parts and adapted to .resist xdeiection upon the application of pressure intermediate thereof. The central portion of truss -A carries a head 3 which projects at'its upper andlower parts to accommodate truss A, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the front portion of said head being tongued out to receive a ,platen 4. Pressure operated type carriers 4 having a limited length of travel, of that general style illustrated and described in patent to W. P. Kidder No. 630,060, August'l, 1899, are adapted to coact with the platen 4, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1. T o head 3 in the present instance is secured a screw 5 passing through truss A, and between the head of screw 5 and a shoulder 6 upon said truss, a spring 7 is interposed, which spring exerts 85 a 'pressure against said screw head and A holds an inclined face ofL- head 3 against an o positly inclined face ofa wedge 8. edge 8 is adapted to be slid along truss A by means hereinafter to be described, suchV p o slldlng movement operating to 'adjust' the platen to vor from the printing plane. It

may here be noted that by the term print- 111g plane,- as herein used in specification and claims I mean that point or position assumed by the type faces during the moment of printing, and by the term moment of pr1nt1ng,=I mean that particular point or period of timev occupied byA a printing device during the operation of impressing or lmprmting a character upon an impression surface. Wedge 8 is provided with a longitudinal slot to accommodate screw 5 and attached to said wedge is a rod 9 carrylng at vits opposite end an adjusting screw 10 co-acting with an adjusting nut 11 havmg a milled head 12 fastened to stem 13 of said nut, lwhich stem is journaled in upright B of the frame of the machine. In yorder to.

maintain nut 11 in adjusted position, a friction piece 14 is provided, 'which is adapted to engage stem 13 of nut 11 and` is held in such engagement by extensile spring 15 located 1n a depression 16 inV upright The operation of the above described embodiment, which should be largely obvious from the description thereof is substantially as folldws: Should vit be desired to adjust the platen toward .orfrom the normal printing plane, a rotation of milled adjusting nut 11 will", through rbd Q, ca wedge 8 to slide along truss A, the inclined face thereof 'causing an 4outward movement of head 3 or allowing a receding movement, the direction of such movement, of course, depending upon the direction of movement of said wedge, spring 7 operating to maintain head 3 in lconstant engagement therewith. It will thus' be seen that a very finely graduated and easily operated adjustment of the platen is secured, friction piece 14 engaging stem 13 of nut`11 operating to maintain the parts in adjustment.

In Figs. 5 to 11 there is shown another embodimentof certain features of my invention in which'head 3 is hollowed out at 21 to inclose or straddle the central portion of truss A and is provided with an inwardly extendingv projection 22, against which spring 23 seated in depression 24 of truss Av presses to hold the inner face of head 3 in engagement with the oppositely disposed face of wedge 8. In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 there is fastened to the wall of a recess 25 in the base of wedge 8 by suitable `means, as screw 26, a leaf spring 27,

the end of which is adapted to engage with a series of depressions 28 in truss A.

The construction shown in Figs. 7 to l10 differs slightly fromA that next above de scribed, in that I haveA provided a spring detent 29V pivoted to a` pin 30 extending transversely of recess 425 located in the base of wedge 8. Detent 29 is adapted to engage` with any one of depressions 28 of truss A and is held in such engagement by antintegral spring 30 contacting with a"wall of recess 25.. Wedge 8 is, in this instance, provided with a knob or handle 31 by which wedge 8 may be slid along truss A and located in said knob or handleis a pusher pin 32, provided `at the lower end thereof with a cam or wedge 33 adapted to engage with the free end of detent 29. Spring 34 resting on a shoulder 35 of knob or handle 31 and exerting tension on shoulder 36 of 4115 pusher pin 32,-*maintains the same in its upward position. If desired, a scale 37 may be provided on truss A, to co-act with the end of wedge 8, or a suitable device thereon, to indicate the position of the platen with respect to the normal printing plane.

It will be readily seen that in the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6, wedge 8 may be'slid along truss A, leaf spring 27 operating to maintain the same in `any desired po- 125 sition, such position being automaticallyA de;i termined by the engagement o'f said spring;r with any one of depressions 24.

The method of use of the embodimentyshown in,- Figs. 7' to 10 should be largely 130 12ov l obvious from the above description thereof,

taken in connection with the description ofthe operation of that next above described. Pusher pin 32, upon the application of pressure, will cause cam 33 to disengage detent :29 fromv depressions 28, allowing wedge 8 to be slid along truss A to secure the desired adjustment of the platen.

It will accordingly be seen that I have devised a mechanism well adapted to att-ain the objects of my invention and one which is valso characterized by simplicity and efiiciency. By the provision for the adjusting means for the platen a uniform pressure of the printingdevices against the impression surface may at all times be secured and the manifold advantages obtained by the eln- 'ployment of the truss are inherent in all of the embodiments herein shown and 'described. v

,While I have shown and describedmy invention as applied to a machine of the above type, lI do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself exclusively to such type, nor, in fact, to any form of typewriting machine, as. it is lequally adapted as to many of its features for use in a variety of relations in machines of other types, although'of peculiar value in the relation shown.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely ydifferent embodiments of my invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, I intend that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. I desire it also to be' understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all st-atements of the scope of the invention which, as a mat-ter of language, might-be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and `desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a truss, a platen carriedthereby, and a movable wedge sliding on said truss and interposed between the truss and the pla-ten adapted to adjust the platen toward or from the printing plane.

" 2. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a truss, a platen, a wedge sliding on said truss and interposed between the 4truss and the platen adapted to adjust the plate toward or from the printing plane, an means for sliding said wedge along said truss.

3. vIn a typewriting machine, in eombinaf tion, a truss, a platen, al wedge sliding on the truss and interposed between the truss and the platen adapted -to adjust the platen' toward or from the printing 4devices, means for sliding said wedge along the truss, and means 'for holding said wedge in an adjusted position thereon.

4. Ina typewriting machine, t tion, a truss, a platen, movable means positioned upon the truss adapted to carry the platen, av wedge sliding upon the trussand engaging said means and adapted to cause a movement of the same toward ,or from the printing plane,

movement of the wedge, and means for holdmeans for causing a sliding'V in combinaing said second-mentioned means in a .sta-

tionary posit-ion after a movement thereof.

5. In a typewriting machine, in comblnation, a truss, a head mounted thereon, a platen carried by the head, and means sliding upon the for adjusting to approach plane.

6.. In a typewriting machine, in'combination,V .a truss, a head mounted thereon, a

the same to cause theplaten or recede from the printing truss and engaging said head platen carried by the head, and a wedge p wedge sliding on the truss and engaging the vhead to cause a movement thereof to adjust the platen toward or from the printing plane, and' means for automatically holding the head inv engagement with said wedge.

9. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a truss, a movable head mounted thereon, a platen carried by said head, a wedge sldin on the truss engaging the head and a apted to cause a movement thereof to adjust t-he platen toward or. from thev printin plane, and a spring for holding the'hea A in engagement with said wedge.

1Q. In a typewritmg machine, in combination, a truss, a movable head positioned thereon, a platen carried by the head, a-

wedge sliding. on the truss and engaging the head' and adapted to adjust the same with respect to the printing plane, means upon 10a nation, a truss, a head carried thereby, a.'

the head extending through the truss, and a spring engaging said means and adapted to exertl a pressure thereon to maintain. said l lhead in engagement with said wedge.

' 11. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a truss, a movable head positioned thereon, a platen carried by the head, a. wedge sliding on thetruss and engaging the head and adapted to cause a movement thereof and a corresponding movement of of the printing devicesvduringthe moment the platen with respect to the printing plane, r ascrew secured to saidhead and extending through the truss, and a spring encircling said 4screw and engaging the head thereof f -to maintain said first-mentioned head in enmountedl thereon, a paper carrier mounted 'so 15. In a typewriting machine, in combithereon, a platen mounted upon the head, a wedge sliding on the truss and engaging the head, a rod secured to said wedge, a screw head and adapted to cause a movementl vmeans for projecting said rod along the length of travel toward said'paper carrier, a

plane, and means for preventing a receding the platen with respect to the printing plane,

and means adapted to prevent a receding movement of said wedge under the pressure of printing. 12. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a truss, `fa movable head positionedl thereon, a platen carried by the h ead, a wedge sliding on the truss and engaging the thereof and a corresponding movement of gagement with said wedge.

13. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a truss,4 a movable headmounted thereon, a platen mounted upon the head, a. wedge sliding on the truss and engaging the head, a rod secured to said wedge, and

truss to cause a corresponding movement of said wedge to adjust the platen with respect to the printing plane.

14. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a relatively fixed abutment, a head on saidhead, a type carrier having a limited movable member between said head and said abutment, and means for moving said meinber to cause a corresponding movement of the head and paper carrier toward or from the end of the path of travel of said type carrier. a

nat-ion, a truss, a movable head mounted thereon, a wedge sliding on the truss and engaging the' head, a rod secured to said wedge, a screw mounted upon said rod, a nut operating'upon the'screw and adapted. to cause a lon tudinal movement thereof, said movement ein communicated through Saidrod to said we ge lto cause a movement of the, platen toward or from the printing movement of the wedge under pressure of the printing devices.

16. In a typewriting machine,-in combination, a truss, a movable head mounted saidnut to maintain sliding on the truss and interposed between the saine and said head, an adjusting rod secured to said wedge, a screw mounted upon said rod,\a nut journaled in the frame of the machine and co-acting with said screw to cause a longitudinalmovement thereof, said movement being communicated through said rod to said wedge to adjust the platen with respect to printing plane, and spring-actuated trictional means acting on the same in an adjusted position.

V18. In 'a typewriting machine, in combination, a truss, a' channeledv head mounted thereon, said channeled movable head being provided wit' an inclined face, a platen carried by said head, a wedge rovided with an oppositely inclined face inter osed between said truss and said head and adapted to engage the inclined face of said head, said wedge being adapted by a- ,longitudinal movement thereof to adjust the platen with respect to the printing plane, means carried f by the head co-acting with the truss to maintain a constant engagement between said head and said wedge, means for 'causing a longitudinalmovement the truss, and'means for holding said lastmentioned means in a stationary position after such movement.

19. In a typewritin machina-in combina-y of the wedgev along tionfa truss, a movab e head provided with an inclined face mounted thereon,

truss and interposed between thepsame and said head, the inclined face of said wedge being in contact with theu inclined lface` of said head, and means for causing a relative movement between the wedge and said head to adjust the platen with respect to the printing plane.

20. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a truss, a channeled head having an inclined face movably mounted thereon, a platen carried bythe head, a we an oppositely inclined face adapted to slide on said truss, the inclinedA face thereof being.

in engagement with the inclinedv face of sai head, means for causing a llongitudinal movement of said wedge along said truss to compel an'outward movement of said head and the platen carried, thereby, said means also being adapted; tomove said vwedge in a different. movement of said head andthe platen l'carried thereby in an opposite direction, and

longitudinal direction to permit alf a platen 'I y carried by the head, a wedge provided with `4l an oppositely inclined face sliding on the 160 ge having means for maintaining said head in constant engagement with said wedge. l

21. In a typewriting machine, in combinaparts having an inclined surface, and.; a

-movable wedge member interposedl bet-Ween j lias tion, a platen, a fixed abutment, one of said 1 miam against said rigid abutment.

23. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen carriage, a: platen carried thereby, end plates associated therewith, and a truss rigidly secured to said end plates positioned behind said platen adapted to take up the strains exerted by the action of the ty e-carriers.

24. n a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen carriage, a platen carried thereby, type-carriers adapted to coact with lsaid platen, end plates associated therewith,

and a truss mounted on said en d plates behind said platen, said truss adapted to resist strains exerted in both horlzontal and vertical planes.

25. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a rigid abutment ysecured to the frame of the machine, type-carriers having a limited path of travel terminating in a normal printing plane, a platen with which said type-carriers are adapted to coact in front of said abutment, and meansintermediate said abutment and said platen for moving the platen relatively to the normal printing plane.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

C. w. sPoNsErJ. Witnessesi W. H. HoNIss,

NELLm PHOENIX.

copies of thispatent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents',

Washington, D. U. 

